


Just a Notch in your Bedpost...

by Clea2011



Series: Pornalot 2017 entries [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-23
Updated: 2017-08-23
Packaged: 2018-12-18 20:45:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11882496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clea2011/pseuds/Clea2011
Summary: Merlin knew, as soon as he woke up in Arthur’s bed, that he’d made a mistake.  A mistake that would not only cost him a blossoming friendship but that would break his heart as well.Or would it?





	Just a Notch in your Bedpost...

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the week 1 challenge of the 2017 Pornalot on Live Journal. The prompt was 'conquest'.

Merlin knew, as soon as he woke up in Arthur’s bed, that he’d made a mistake.  A mistake that would not only cost him a blossoming friendship but that would break his heart as well.

Arthur Pendragon was a maneater.  Everyone knew it, although Arthur hid it well.  But there had been the photo that went viral on Cedric’s Twitter account of Arthur’s bedpost with all the notches.  The thing had looked as if something had chewed it and spat it out.

Merlin could see that bedpost properly now.  He’d gripped it more than once during the previous night, his desperate fingers struggling for something to hold while Arthur pounded him into the mattress.  Arthur fucked so very, very good.  Merlin wanted it again, and again.  He thought maybe he might want it for the rest of his life.

But there was that bedpost, all marked and accusing.  It looked just the same as it had in the photo.  Maybe after that had been circulated round the internet Arthur had found it more difficult to be as promiscuous?  Or maybe he’d found it easier?  No, he wouldn’t have spent weeks befriending Merlin and then taken him on an expensive date if he was finding it easy.  Merlin had known that he shouldn’t have gone on the date, and had definitely known that he shouldn’t have slept with Arthur afterwards.  But Arthur was so handsome and kissed so passionately, and smelled so good…

Arthur wasn’t even intending hanging around.  He was out of bed already, pulling on a pair of boxers, obviously trying to be quiet so that he could sneak out.  Well, Merlin wasn’t going to let him get away with that.

“Morning.”

Arthur turned, and gave him a guilty smile.  “Morning, Gorgeous!  Sorry, I was trying to let you sleep.  I had to get up.  Aithusa’s going to be wanting her breakfast or she’ll be running in here crying as if she’s not the most spoiled princess ever. I won’t be a moment.  You stay there, I’ll bring you coffee.”

Spoiled princess?  So it seemed Arthur had a child that he hadn’t told Merlin about as well.  It got worse.  And where was the other parent? 

Miserably, Merlin slid back under the covers, careful to keep his back to that horrible bedpost and everything it represented.  It was awful.  In fact, Merlin thought he might cry.  He bit back a sob, but must have made a sound because Arthur paused, and came back to the bed.

“Are you okay?” Arthur asked uncertainly.  “We were good last night… better than good… God, you look like you’re about to cry!”

“Am I a conquest?” Merlin asked in a small voice.  “Am I going to be marked on there with the others?”

“What?”

“On the bedpost.”

Arthur tried to say something, but Merlin kept on speaking.  It had taken a lot to pluck up the courage to ask, and he wasn’t going to stop.

“Am I just another one night stand and any minute now you’re going to make some excuse so that I have to leave and then you’ll say you’ll call and never do and it’ll always be awkward and awful and we can’t be friends any more and I didn’t know you had a kid and is there a husband or a wife or something because I really hope there isn’t and I don’t want that to lose you because I really like you and we’re friends and… hmfph!”

Arthur had put his hand over Merlin’s mouth.

“Sorry, but will you let me speak?”

Merlin nodded, wide-eyed over the top of Arthur’s hand.

“Thank you.”  Arthur let go cautiously, then seemed to relax a little when Merlin kept his word and didn’t say anything more.  “Now, first of all you’re not a one night stand.  I don’t do one night stands.  Well, not intentionally anyway.  And I absolutely would never do that with someone who’s rapidly becoming my best friend.”

Merlin opened his mouth to protest, but Arthur held up a finger in warning. 

“Let me finish.  The bedpost.  I suppose you saw the photo that Cedric sent round after we split up?”

Merlin nodded.  “It was on his Twitter.  Everyone saw it.”

“Mmm.  Fun times.  Well, he was insane and everything he wrote there was a lie.  If I had notches on my bedpost, you would be number six.  Three steady boyfriends, one accidental one-night stand, one huge mistake, and you.”

“I’m not the huge mistake?”

“No. That’s Cedric.”

Somewhere in the flat, Merlin could hear someone moving about.  It had to be Aithusa.  Arthur had never mentioned her before.

“I think your daughter’s got up,” Merlin pointed out sulkily.

Arthur stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing.  “My daughter!  Aithusa… yes… I suppose she is!  Oh Merlin, you’ve got it so wrong.  Aithusa!  Get in here!”

There was a loud thudding sound, as if someone were running down the hallway.  The bedroom door burst open and a blur of white fur ran into the room, not even pausing before leaping onto the bed with a happy bark.  She was a small white Scottie, adorably cute.  She sniffed Merlin, then wagged her tail hopefully at Arthur.

“This is Aithusa,” Arthur sighed, sitting down on the bed beside Merlin.  “Little monster.  I’ll have to feed her, otherwise she’ll start destroying things.  You can see what she did to the bedpost when she was a pup.”

“She’s a dog…”

“Shh!  I tell her she’s a princess and she believes me.  She’s actually my sister’s dog, but I look after her when Morgana’s abroad.  Aithusa likes me better anyway, don’t you girl?” 

Aithusa gave a little bark. 

“See?  So,” Arthur smiled, one hand cupping Merlin’s face, the other stroking Aithusa’s fur.  “Are we good?”

Merlin nodded.  “Very good.  Sorry.  I’m an idiot.”

“You’re my idiot now.”  Arthur kissed him, loving and sweet.  “And I like it that way.  But perhaps it’s time I got a new bed...”

 


End file.
